What transaction processing solution is right for your business? Read through our solutions guide to find which solution your business is going to need and how each solution works. If you have questions about fees, what merchant accounts are, etc., go to our FAQ section. Check out our glossary of terms, also.

Refer to the table below to see which credit card processing solution is right for your business: NR = Not Recommended, POS = Point Of Sale, MOTO = Mail Order/Telephone Order

Business Type

Credit Card Processing Solutions

Swipe Terminal

POS Software

Real-Time

Retail

Best

Good

NR

MOTO

NR

Good

Best

Internet

NR

Good

Best

Internet & MOTO

NR

Good

Best

Retail & MOTO

Good

Best

NR

Internet, MOTO & Retail

Best*

NR

Best*

* In this case, it would be best to have both a swipe terminal and Real-Time solution since running retail (face-to-face) orders through the swipe terminal would incur less charges (lower discount rate and per transaction fee) then it would running the transaction through a Real-Time solution. In short, process your face-to-face orders through the swipe terminal and your MOTO and Internet orders through the Real-Time solution. You’ll need two merchant accounts for this, a retail merchant account and an MOTO/Internet merchant account. Check with a Merchant Account Provider for details as they may be able to cut you a deal. Now that you know what solutions you can use for your business, take a look at the advantages, disadvantages and detailed explanations so you can effectively determine which solution you want to go with for your business.

Are you new to accepting payment online? We’ve created a guide just for you. It will explain all the details about credit card processing and other payment acceptance solutions you should consider when setting up shop on the Internet. Get the facts before jumping in with both feet. Our easy-to-read guide covers these topics, in detail: